Can 9 Million Hungry Kids Inspire a Nation?

National Donors of America's Second Harvest Join Together to Support National Hunger Awareness Day, Thursday, June 5

Chicago, IL -- America's Second Harvest, the nation's largest hunger-relief charity, in collaboration with First Lady Laura Bush, business leaders, volunteers, faith-based groups, elected officials, and community organizations, will inspire the nation to examine child hunger for "National Hunger Awareness Day," Thursday, June 5.

Dannon, Cargill, Quaker, ConAgra Foods, Capital One, and Albertsons are among the major companies that will be gathering food, raising funds to support local food banks and food-rescue organizations, and focusing attention on the acute problem of summer hunger when children don't have access to school-based meals.

"We have come together to inform individuals, communities, corporations, and policy makers that hunger---specifically child hunger ---is a severe domestic issue but a solvable one as well," says Robert Forney, President and CEO, America's Second Harvest, which provides emergency food assistance to 9 million children each year.

America's Second Harvest is urging everyone in America to get involved. There will be national events and local activities in every community. Please visit www.hungerday.org for details. The following list includes planned activities from selected national donors:

First Lady Laura Bush
First Lady Laura Bush has filmed a PSA for TV and radio for National Hunger Awareness Day. "No child should ever feel the pangs of hunger or the pain of hopelessness. I encourage you to help fight hunger in America and bring hope to a hungry child," she said.

Families Feeding America (Featuring Hall-of-Famer Ozzie Smith)
The Dannon Company and America's Second Harvest have partnered for the second straight year to help bring awareness to, and educate the public about the growing problem of childhood hunger, especially during the summer months. Through the Families Feeding America Contest, they will identify and reward families who are helping out to strike out hunger in America; and help raise funds and encourage volunteerism for hunger-relief projects. For every click on www.dannon.com, Dannon will donate $1, which is also the equivalent of 21 meals, to America's Second Harvest.

ConAgra Foods Feeding Children Better Foundation
On June 5, Lynn Phares, President of the ConAgra Foods Feeding Children Better Foundation (www.feedingchildrenbetter.org and Bob Forney, President and CEO of America's Second Harvest, will be available live for interview via satellite. Together, they will discuss the problem of child hunger and why summer is the most difficult time.

America's Virtual Pantry
America's Virtual Pantry, located at www.secondharvest.org, is an online fundraising campaign presented by Capital One in partnership with America's Second Harvest. Through America's Virtual Pantry, individuals will make a contribution to America's Second Harvest by participating in an online grocery shopping experience. By clicking on different food and grocery items, visitors will fill a virtual shopping cart with food and grocery products and will make a financial donation to America's Second Harvest.

Quaker
Quaker and their parent company PepsiCo will donate $1.00 for every email address submitted, up to a total of $20,000, to help America's Second Harvest provide 220,000 lunches to hungry children all over America. Quaker and PepsiCo are proud to support America's Second Harvest with donations of food, finances, and volunteer time.

Ronald McDonald House Charities
Thanks to the generosity of Ronald McDonald House Charities, America's Second Harvest is pleased to announce a funding opportunity for Kids Cafe programs. Through 10 grants of $10,000 each, Ronald McDonald House Charities will support capacity expansion at local Kids Cafes programs to help alleviate childhood hunger.

Food Lion
All Food Lion and Kash n' Karry stores will begin their Hunger Has A Cure program. During this promotion, all customers will be invited to donate $1 cash or a $3 or $5 discounted bag of groceries to their local food bank. The retailers' goal is to raise $250,000 in cash and food for hunger relief. The campaign will run from June 5 to July 5.

NASCAR
Tony Raines, NASCAR Winston Cup Driver, will display Car No. 74 adorned with the America's Second Harvest logo. It will be located in Times Square on June 5.

Cargill
America's Second Harvest and Cargill announced today that their $200,000 donation will be used to fund food safety training programs, increase capacity for food service through Community Kitchens and create a Nutrition Initiative Network for affiliated food banks and food-rescue organizations across the nation.

Albertsons
Albertsons is conducting food drives in each of their stores in 30 states. Their stores will not only conduct traditional food drives, but also virtual food drives, allowing donors to purchase and donate groceries to hungry Americans online. All proceeds will benefit local A2H affiliates. Albertsons has also committed to print and radio advertising of their food drives and their efforts on behalf of National Hunger Awareness Day as well as a $100,000 donation to America's Second Harvest.

Kroger
As a corporation, Kroger is encouraging its stores to work with their local America's Second Harvest affiliates to create programs that are unique to each area. In addition to running food drives, some area stores are participating in the Check Out Hunger Program. For example, inn Louisville, Kentucky, Kroger stores will place placards with tear-off coupons in the amounts of $1, $2 and $5 in their check out lines.

Hour of Manufacturing
An Hour of Manufacturing is asking that corporate donors of America's Second Harvest on June 5 to donate the product that is grown, picked, packed, manufactured, shipped, or sold during one hour of production time. ConAgra Foods, Bar-S Foods, Ben & Jerry's Hardee's, Land O'Lakes, Perdue Farms, SC Johnson, and Unilever Bestfoods will participate. Cargill Masters, Advance Transportation Services, and Alpha 2 Logistics have donated trucking services.